Nine original Warhol prints were stolen from a Los Angeles movie business and nobody noticed it for three years.
According to reuters.com, the stolen prints are part of Warhol's 1983 series "Endangered Species" and his 1980 "Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century." Los Angeles police detective Don Hrycyk refused to give any more details concerning the art heist.
In an affidavit, the prints were only discovered to be fake when one of the prints were removed from display to be re-framed. The staff noticed that the print was "fuzzy and lacked a print number and signature."
Special tools were also used for getting the prints off from the wall and trying to get it otherwise will only damage its wall. Warhol's prints were said to be replaced with large colored copies.
According to theguardian.com, the print "Bald Eagle" was one of the stolen prints but it was already auctioned by Bonhams last October 25, 2011. Bonhams spokeswoman Kristin Guiter said that they have already responded on investigators' request regarding the documentation and information about the sold "Bald Eagle" print.
However, Kristin said the police haven't been in touch, asking for any information about the prints from the 10 Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century. Los Angeles police said in a report that the fake prints' conditions showed that the heist happened in the past three years despite the "Bald Eagle" auction date that suggested an earlier time than that.
According to the report by the guardian, "The Ten Portraits of Jews series include Sarah Bernhardt and Martin Buber, while Endangered Species includes the bighorn ram and the Siberian tiger. It was unclear exactly which images from the two series were stolen."
The Warhol prints are made of silk and the prints from 1983 series "Endangered Species" and his 1980 "Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century" are worth an estimated $350,000.
